The Delhi High Court has restrained four generic pharmaceutical firms from manufacturing or selling Valsartan and Sacubitril tablets, a mix to deal with cardiovascular disease, as it could quantity to infringement of patent of pharma main Novartis AG.

The injunction order has been passed against Natco Pharma, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Eris Lifesciences and Windlas Biotech. These four generic pharma firms cannot produce or market Valsartan and Sacubitril.

Novartis, being the patentee, has been selling Valsartan and Sacubitril tablets in India under the model “Vymada” since 2016.

Justice Jayant Nath stated: “An injunction is passed in favour of the plaintiffs and against all the defendants restraining the defendants, their agents etc. from manufacturing, importing, selling, offering for sale, etc. any pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of Valsartan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, and Sacubitril or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or more specifically a pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of Sacubitril +Valsartan as a sodium salt complex or in any other form which may amount to infringement of Indian Patent of plaintiff no.1 (Novartis AG)”.

The plea stated the plaintiff via a press launch of January 28, 2019, issued by the defendant got here to find out about its activities in launching a pharmaceutical composition comprising of the patented mixture of Sacubitril and Valsartan pill below the model VALSAC as a mix drug.

The defendants, within the written assertion, stated that the invention of the go well with patent contains a mix of Valsartan and Sacubitril which collectively inhibit AT-1 and NEP receptors respectively.

The invention is therefore nothing however a bodily mixture of Valsartan and Sacubitril and the defendant’s product is a “supra molecular complex comprising of Valsartan and Sacubitril anions with sodium cations and water molecules and does not fall within the scope of the suit patent”, it stated.